Yow-die-yow..

I have a simular problem with my ND6500 in a Toshiba Satellite Pro 2100. Except it produces a IDE Error #1.

I tried to flash version 4.21, but that didn't help. It seems to me there is indeed a second code which has to be flashed (that's probably why there is a 6400boot and a 6400main).

Only problem is, where do I get those? I was only able to find the bin-file of version 4.21, but I couldn't find the package (zip??) containing all the files you are talking about (6400boot.bat etc. etc.).

Greetings,

The Snake

(in reply to BigHardy)

* Updated 21/12/2004
- Added 6500BOOT.ZIP (contains all files to flash to reverse-ATA mode)
- Added 2.23_Liggy (Same as stock 2.23 but with DVD+R bitsetting!)

Enjoy

(in reply to TheSnake)

@Emperor

Hallo,

is it possible for you to contact Liggy and to ask him to analyze the program BT6100R1.EXE used in 6500Boot.bat ?
I think that this program flashes a "special" flash area in the ND6500 to switch between CS and reverse-ATA.
If he could analyze and detect the difference it would be great, if he could modify Binflash with a feature for this area in the ND6500.

Greetings

BigHardy

(in reply to emperor)

Hi there...

It looks indeed that BT6100R1.EXE flashes a special area (some kind of boot-area).

If you're ND6500 is cable-select, and the drive isn't detected by the bios (mostly an IDE Error #x) flashing only firmware version 4.20 isn't enough.

I did try that, but it didn't help. But now I have another problem to figure out first. I can't even flash any other firmware anymore. If I try that the system just "crashes". Well the led of the ND6500 is blinking, but even after 30 minutes nothing is changed (still a blinking led and nothing else). I'm not able to do anything else than restarting the system.

Only thing I would like to know, is there also a 6500BOOT with the boot-code for cable select? Well, I should be, because (most??) 6500 have that boot-code. But has anybody also found it someware as a bin/exe file to flash it? If I flash it now with the boot-code for reversed-ATA I can't go back to cable-select. I probably need reversed-ATA for my Toshiba Satellite (with cable-select I get that IDE Error), but what if I get crazy and buy a new laptop in 6 months, want to use the ND6500 in that one and that new laptop uses cable select? If there is no way to go back to cable-select boot code the ND6500 is "un-usable". :-(

There should also be a fixed-slave boot-code, but I couldn't find that one anywhere either. Anybody seen that one somewhere?

(in reply to BigHardy)

@TheSnake

I have the same problems like you.
I have also searched for the CS-Flash and the fixed-slave-version, but i have not found anything till now.

That's the reason for asking emperor, if he has contact to Liggy (or Herrie).

Greetings

Bighardy

(in reply to TheSnake)

Hello everybody

I just bought the nec 6500a and I am trying to install it on Toshiba satellite Pro 6100. However, I am getting an IDE #1 ERROR. I removed the hardrive and still I was getting the same error (along with #0 for the hardrive).

The drive was manufactured on November 2004, but I cannot get any other information since it is not recognised even in the bios.

I found in other forum (http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/showthread.php?t=1247&page=2&pp=15) that a possible solution is to bridge pins 45 and 47 in the drive, but I don't want to go there and still I don't know if I can do it that way.

Could you please help me resolve this problem?

thank you very much

(in reply to emperor)

quote:

ORIGINAL: BigHardy
@Emperor
Hallo,

is it possible for you to contact Liggy and to ask him to analyze the program BT6100R1.EXE used in 6500Boot.bat ?

Yes that could be a possibility...lets see what will Liggy can do about this

(in reply to BigHardy)

@BigHardy

Well my problem is even bigger than I thougt.

The Toshiba Satellite Pro 2100 doesn't detect the ND6500 (IDE Error #1).

When I connect the ND6500 to an other (desktop) computer (using an adapter to a standard IDE connecter, which I also used to flash firmware v4.21) the ND6500 is detected by the bios as master.

But when I try to flash any other firmware, no result. Using NecWinFlash from Windows XP, the system just crashes. Using a boot-disk and using NecFlash, it doesn't recognize the drive. NecFlash -scan only gives "No supported devices found". Also tried 6500BOOT/6500MAIN. Both say the drive allready is flashed with the new code. Looked at the batchfiles and tried to use the flashprograms manually and then I only get a message "firmware isn't changed correctly".

This all started after I flashed (using NecWinFlash) the 4.21 firmware. And now I'm not even able to flash the "boot-code" (6500BOOT), allthough I'm not even sure anymore if that would make the ND6500 detected by my Toshiba laptop. I did some extra research and I think I need the fixed-slave code to get it working (but first of all I need to be able to flash anything into the ND6500 again).

I can't imagin something went wrong when flashing v4.21. NecWinFlash did the job without any error. The drive is also working in my desktop. I can read/write CD/DVDs and didn't run into any problems with that. I'm just not able to flash any other code anymore. And that's what I need to do, because the ND6500 is for use in the laptop and that still isn't working. :-(

(in reply to BigHardy)

@cournot99

Read my posting to BigHardy.

I have a Toshiba Satellite Pro 2100 and did also disconnect the harddisk (without any result).

The Toshiba Satellite Pro 2100 (and I think the 6100 also) has hardcoded a harddisk on IDE port 1 (#0) and a CD/DVD drive on port 2 (#1). If there is no device connected to (or the laptop doesn't detect any device) on either one ports an IDE Error is produced.

That's why I think flashing the ND6500 to reversed-ATA doesn't help. To get it work I think the fixed-slave code is needed (but nobody has found that one yet).

Only thing I can say at the moment is be very carefull. I ended up with a ND6500 which I can't flash anything into anymore (at least for now), and I still can't use it in my laptop.

(in reply to cournot99)

@TheSnake

I flashed the nd6500 using a gericom-notebook. This notebook detects the nd6500 always (as Master or slave, depending which firmware-version is flashed)

In the state that the 6500 is not normally detected in the bios, try to use the programs manually.
First use the BT6100R1.EXE with the correct parameters for your Hardware.
In my case it was definitive on the secondary port: /p:1
on a primary port you have to type /p:0
Then try the devicenumber: /d:0 is master /d:1 is slave.
Under normal circumstances after successfully running the 6500Boot.bat the nd6500 is slave.
If you want to flash it again without the checkroutine in the batch you have to type BT6100R1 /p:1 /d:1 /FWCHK:2

If you have reflashed the 2.xx-FW after complete using 6500Boot and 6500Main you have to type BT6100R1 /p:1 /d:0 /FWCHK:2

The same parameters are valid to the "Main"-Flash-program.

If you have run successfully the BT6100R1.exe the nd6500 should after reboot detected as slave.

Then you have to type FL65_421 /p:1 /d:1 /FWCHK:2 for flashing the main-part (4.21) included in the program manually.

The complete 6500boot/6500Main-flashed nd6500 is working fine in a satellite 2800-600 and a satellite cdt4000.

But now the nd6500 runs only stable in reverse-Ata-mode with the original 4.21.
I have not found any software to go COMPLETELY back to CS-Mode with 2.xx-FW.

Greetings

Bighardy

(in reply to TheSnake)

Hello,

Kann mir jemand die Firmware + Slave Mod mailen

Thanks

(in reply to pullmyfinger)

thats weird cause i have a toshiba satellite 1415-s105 and when i look into the bios settings it wont let me change anything. I also notice toshiba doesn't use slave at all at least not in my laptop as i seen primary and secondary eide and no to change slave or master since it seems they are both master(Hard Drive,DVD Drive). I also ordered the eide adapter hoping to somehow use the reverse ata by putting it in my desktop as secondary slave and flashing it with the main n boot files since i heard that this might be the only way to make it master. I spoke with NEC and they have told me that the drive comes standard as slave from the factory. So those with Toshiba laptops getting Eide #1 Error(as i seem to have) its not because the drive has to be slave but in actuallity its because the drive has to be master. I was planning on doing the Firmware upgrade tomorrow after i done alil more reading but i think that is the jist of it. What ill try to do is hook up the original toshiba drive in my desktop and see what is recognised as so i will know what the NEC needs to be set at.

(in reply to pcot)

@Glex25

If you get an "IDE #1 Error" it means there is nothing connected/detected on the second port of your IDE controller. If you get an "IDE #0 Error" there is nothing connected/detected on the first port of your IDE controller.

Toshiba doesn't allow you to change anything about those settings in the bios (at least for the Satellite series). The laptops however do NOT have two controllers, it's just one. Port one of the controller is master and port 2 is slave. If you have any device connected to the second port (usually a CD/DVD ROM/Writer), and you get an "IDE #1 Error" it means that the device is not compatible with your laptop (the bios doesn't recognize the device). This can be, because the device is really not compatible, or is not correctly configured (for the second port the device has to be in slave-mode).

(in reply to Glex25)

@BigHardy

I finally have it working.

The problem wasn't the desktops bios not correctly recognizing the ND6500, because it did recognize the ND6500 correctly. I flashed the ND6500 first with only the maincode (the .bin file) using NecWinFlash, but that wasn't enough to use it in the laptop (the ND6500 still was master).

Later I wasn't able to flash anything into the ND6500 (although in the desktop it was recognized by the bios). I couldn't flash any 2.xx firmware, couldn't flash 6500BOOT/6500MAIN (tried with the batchfiles as wel as manually). NecFlash didn't recognize the ND6500 at all (necflash -scan).

Finally, today I was able to flash again. Flashed 6500BOOT/MAIN manually and now the drive is configured as reverse-ATA and recognized as slave. Put it in the Toshiba laptop and it's working.

The problem of not being able to flash anymore seemed to be a problem with the IDE cable. I have about 10 flat-cables which are suitable for connecting devices which are in cable-select mode and the first time I picked a good one. Today I picked a good one either, but when I wasn't able to flash, I probably picked one out of the box which had a bad connector or one (or more) broken cables, which resulted in those problems. Have tested all cables today and found the one with problems and it's out of the box now.

Just one strange thing... My Toshiba Satellite Pro 2100 doesn't give any IDE Error anymore, so the bios detects the ND6500. In Windows XP the drive is recognized and working (in DMA mode), so everything is oke. But when I boot with a dos-bootfloppy and start NecFlash with the scan option (v1.03a) it still doesn't find any vallid devices, allthough it should work with the ND6500 (and recognize it). Can anybody test this, if you have the same experiences with a ND6500 flashed with 6500BOOT/6500MAIN, all working well in the laptop and windows? Just boot with a dosflop and try NecFlash -scan (v1.03) and see if it recognizes the ND6500 or not.

(in reply to BigHardy)

@TheSnake

Did you run "adddev aspi.sys" before starting necflash ?
If not, necflash is not able to access the drive.



@All
Greetings and Merry Christmas

BigHardy

(in reply to TheSnake)

@TheSnake

So the drive is stable?

I have the toshiba satellite pro 6100 and I would like to do the same for the nd6500A manufactured in Nov 2004.

Should I flash the drive in a desktop, given that is not recognized in the laptop?

I do have the 6500boot.bat and 6500main.bat along with some exe files.
Which version of the firmware should I use? Could you please send me the one that you used in cournot99@yahoo.com ?

Please let me know of how should I do it and if it is stable in your laptop.

Thank you in advance

(in reply to TheSnake)